the Arriviste

Closing the deal: Lucha Loco

A few things have and haven't happened in Singapore since I've been away. On the face of it, Singy seems to have gotten hipper with the addition of some new restaurants and bars (28 Hong Kong Street and Jigger and Pony are notable picks). But what hasn't changed is how many of these places emphasize style over substance, making you think, on first glance, that they'll become regulars on your rotation. But you soon realize that like so many other slick, design-y establishments, they just can't close the deal. Prices are exorbitant, food is underwhelming, cocktails aren't made properly, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to point fingers here, but you know who you are, overpriced, average, OZ-American-Western-expat magnet bistros.

My continual dissapointment with these places is why Lucha Loco, perched on happening Duxton Hill with its rowdy tables spilling out onto the sidewalk, is such a welcome addition. Not only are the setting and decor are as cool as you'll find, but, and this is key, the food is great. (Tostadas! Beef tacos! Ceviche!) And it's that rarest of rare species: Mexican food! Good Mexican food! In Asia!

My only suggestion (and I strongly suggest this--the bartender and I have discussed it at length) is that they add a traditional Margarita to the menu. The house Margarita is made with agave syrup, and this offends my purist sensibilities.  But even that I am willing to overlook, because Lucha Loco closes the deal.

The Helipad Party

 

Top photo via dawningthoughts

It's the end of the month, lovlies, and you know what that means--the Swissotel The Stamford's helipad party is here again!  On the last Thursday of every month, Swissotel opens up its helipad for music and drinks way above the fray.  The drinks can be so-so but, but the breeze and 360-degree view from more than 70 stories up are spectacular.  And I think partying on a helipad is kind of a cool thing--call me easily impressed.

The helipad, accessed via the New Asia Bar,  is open from 8-10pm, and if you arrive before 8pm the $25 cover, which includes a drink is waived.  Plus you avoid the queue to the roof that that builds up later on.  At 10pm people head down to the New Asia Bar to finish the night out club-style.  It gets very busy, so book a table if you're inclined to stay.   

Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore
2 Stamford Road
Singapore 178882

 

Tanjong Beach Club: Hollywood chic Sentosa retreat

  Images courtesy of Tanjong Beach Club.

Oh the sun, the sand, the sangria, the cabanas! Stepping into retro-chic Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa is like happening upon a very cool 1950's Los Angeles poolside retreat, and this arriviste, for one, cannot help but imagine herself a silver screen starlet lounging in Hollywood luxury the minute she settles into a beach bed. (Active imagination, I know!)  

During the week, the restaurant-slash-beach club is every bit the calm idyll you see in the pictures above. From Tuesday to Friday you can saunter right in, take your pick of spots, and order a fresh salad to go with that pitcher of mojitos.  But if a beach-side, DJ-fueled party is more up your alley, head to TBC on the weekends when Singapore's pretty young things come out in full force (and call ahead to reserve a comfy spot).

Whatever your preference--a quiet movie-star-off-duty day by the pool or weekend carousing with the party set--TBC doesn't disappoint.

Tanjong Beach Club

120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa, Singapore 098942

One day, two neighborhoods: Little India and Haji Lane

Top three pictures: Little India; the rest: Haji Lane. Second from bottom: A Thousand Tales. Bottom picture: Piedra Negra.

First, sorry for the lack of posts.  I've been waylaid by deadlines, illness, parties, etc, etc.  You know how it goes.  But I have managed to do a little exploring, and have just the thing if you're feeling the itch to experience more than obscenely-priced restaurants (I'm talking to you, Marina Bay Sands) and slick shopping malls.  A great way to absorb Singapore's famous multi-ethnic culture is to walk around Little India and Haji Lane, which both harken back to Old Singapore with their narrow lanes and shophouses in atmospheric decay.  In Little India, jewelry, saris, and knick-knack shops sit chock-a-block on the neighborhood's bustling streets. And in the Arab Quarter, the quaint Haji Lane has become host to lots of little boutiques. Though mostly stocked with dime-a-dozen "vintage" goods, there are some gems among them, like mid-century inspired furniture atelier A Thousand Tales. 

Start your day with lunch in Little India and then head over to Haji Lane for some browsing and an afternoon margarita.

1. Lunch is first on the agenda: Head to the fittingly-named Banana Leaf Apolo at 54 Racecourse Rd, one of Little India's most famous restaurants, for an Indian feast served on banana leaves.  If vegetarian is your thing, head instead to Kailash Parbat at the corner of Belilios and Serangoon roads.  This cool and inviting gem of a restaurant was introduced to me by none other than the lovely Notabilia, knower of all things interesting in Singapore, whose mother has been a fan for years.  Opt for the buffet.

2. Next , wander over to Serangoon Rd and walk against traffic to the corner of Dalhousie Lane, peeping into gold shops and sweet stalls as you go.  At Dalhousie you'll find the Little India Arcade, a maze of Indian goodies, from crafts to medicine. Done with the arcade? Walk around the surrounding lanes until you've had your fill.

3. Now you're off to Haji Lane.  Hop in a cab and have the driver drop you directly there.  The little street doesn't span more than a couple of blocks, so pick an end and start exploring.  Keep an eye out for hipster-ready clothes at K.I.N. and covetable furniture at A Thousand Tales.

4. If you're not totally exhausted after all the browsing, wander around the neighborhood a little more for a look at carpet shops and shisha spots and over to Singapore's oldest mosque, Masjid Sultan.

5. But if you're ready for a break, then trot on over to Piedra Negra for one of Singapore's best margaritas. You've earned it!

 

The Disgruntled Chef = Laid back drinks + serious food

 Top: Bloody Mary Chaser

I do like the Disgruntled Chef so very much.  In my humble opinion, they do both food and drink memorably well in their hip, unpretentious Dempsey spot.  Classic cocktails get an update, like the Bloody Mary Chaser shown above, a mix of vodka, homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella-stuffed olives.  And the DG's own bar creations, like the sea salt and chili margarita, are sophisticated, grown-up drinks.  What's more, the DG hasn't succumbed to the siren call of the obscenely priced $20+ cocktail, seen all over Singapore, which is practically bankrupting a certain arriviste. (Ahem, Nektar.)

And if the cocktails weren't enough, the DG's modern, Western fare recalls the New American cuisine of San Francisco or New York, which precious few restaurants here do well, in my view, that is when they do it at all. Be sure to order the crackling pig and lamb short ribs.

An Itinerary: The best of Orchard Road

 On Pedder  

I generally try to avoid Orchard Rd at all costs.  The crowds, the overwhelming amount of merchandise, the underwhelming quality of it all.  But chances are if you're visiting Singapore, you'll find yourself here at some point.  So here are my suggestions to steer you away from the stores you see every day of your life and toward the Arriviste's top Orchard picks.

First rule: Do not go on a weekend afternoon, especially a Sunday.  You have been warned.

1. Get off to a pleasant morning start at TWG in ION Orchard, which sits atop the Orchard MRT stop, for tea and exquisite pastries.  Do not leave without trying the Napoleon macaron, lovingly described here.  But don't eat too much...

2. ...Because Thye Hong in Wisma Atria is your next stop for hokkein mee, fried Fujianese prawn noodles. On my first visit to Singapore I asked my wise friend Sue which hawker to choose, and she wisely replied, pick the one with the longest line.  And so began my love for Thye Hong's $4 hokkien mee.  If you like spicy, the sambal adds great flavor.  NB, other outlets are not as good as this one. 

Drinking on Emerald Hill

 

Ah, what a disappointment to find that the really good cocktail bars are few and far between in Singapore.  (Tippling Club reigns supreme, but having said that I still have The White Rabbit, Baretto and Drink Culture to cross off my list.  So much to drink, so little time!)  The bars on Emerald Hill, all housed in pretty little shophouses--thanks, allegedly and disappointingly, to the work of one property developer--don't solve this problem, but they do provide a totally pleasant environment to have a glass of rose, as pictured above, after a marathon day on Orchard Rd or on your way out to dinner.  Friends of this arriviste stick to Que Pasa, but prices aren't bad at No 5 either. 

A perfect cocktail

 

Going, going, gone

My new friend and Arriviste muse Connie introduced me to the Smokey Old Bastard at the Tippling Club on Dempsey Hill on Monday.  I made it ONE day before I had to go back for another...by myself!  But it was, after all, for research.

I developed my love of the creative and well-made cocktail in New York City as the speakeasy revival was getting underway (think Employees Only, Death & Co, and the departed East Side Company), and so I consider my standards pretty high.  And this is one unforgettable drink: fragrant smoke, like orange peels and tobacco in a fireplace, spills out of the bottle when you take off the cap, and the drink itself tastes like an old fashioned on a tropical holiday--gentler, mellower, and slightly sweeter.

Bartender, all I can say is bravo.  Bravo.

Where can an arriviste find a cheap cup of coffee around here?

Oriole Coffee

Okay, so it's true that one can find a cheap, and quite good, cup of kopi, the local brew, at Singapore's many local coffee shops. And a rich, caramelly kopi with condensed milk is a fab afternoon treat, especially at the local institution that is Killiney Kopitiam.

But for your daily espresso fix?  You may have noticed that the average price of a caffe latte in Singapore is, well, extortionate. $5.30 for a tall latte--really, Starbucks??? And most chains charge similar prices.

But there are excellent, reasonably-priced espresso drinks to be had.  The Rotisserie, an Aussie lunch spot near Far East Square by Chinatown makes a perfect latte--all velvety milk and not a hint of bitterness--that will only set you back $3.50. Da Paolo's Gastronomia, whose four locations up the odds that you'll be near one at any given time, also serves a quality latte for $3.50. 

Oriole Coffee

And, if you happen to be in the market for an expensive cup, bypass Starbucks and head straight to Oriole Coffee for a cold-brewed iced coffee. Buyer beware, though: this is a strong one and they don't serve decaf. Barrista-policy. 

• The Rotisserie, 51 Telok Ayer St
• Da Paolo's Gastronomia, The Paragon, Orchard Rd and various locations
• Oriole Coffee, 96 Somerset Rd and 9 Raffles Place
• Killiney Kopitam, 67 Killiney Rd and various locations